Microsoft plans to win over Windows 7 users with Windows 9

Speaking of Microsoft, its Windows division is working full speed to realise the next major version of Windows – and the steaks are high this time, as they desperately need a home run.

Windows 8.x has gone down in history books as Vista 2.0, which is my opinion is grossly unfair for Microsoft’s current operating system. But Microsoft made a LOT of usability mistakes when Windows 8 was first released and totally overlooked the desktop users who are still its main customers. Right now Windows 8.1 Update 1 is much more keyboard/mouse friendly, with Update 2 rumoured to be at RTM status and coming our way within August. But it seems Microsoft is done with the 8.x versions and wants to distance itself from them, hence working on Windows 9 codename ‘Threshold’ full steam ahead.

Here’s what ZDNet reports on the matter:

And not too surprisingly, one of the Microsoft Operating Systems Group’s main goals in designing and developing the coming operating system (OS) release — which may or may not ultimately be branded as “Windows 9” — is to try to make it more palatable to hold-out Windows 7 users.

In order to do this, Microsoft is working on including in Threshold lots of new features specifically aimed at “desktop” users, meaning those who interact primarily with their Windows computing device from a desktop or laptop PC with mouse/keyboard and optional touch.

With Windows 8.1 Update, Microsoft officials designed Windows around a set of profiles based on the hardware specifications of the devices in use. Certain devices running Windows 8.1 Update include Power and Search buttons on the Metro-style Start screen; others don’t. Some of those running Windows 8.1 Update have their machines start up by default in the Desktop/Win32 legacy environment, while others on touch/mobile-first devices start up in the Metro-Style Start Menu by default.

According to my sources, Microsoft will continue in this vein with Windows Threshold. The Threshold OS will look and work differently based on hardware type.

You can read the rest of the article here, some interesting tidbits can be found about Microsoft’s plans.